Machine for digging, sorting, and delivering potatoes



Mar. 3, 1925.

E. R. MURPHY MACHINE FOR DIC-GING, SORTING', AND DELIVERING, POTATOES.

Filed'Sept. 6. 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,502

E. R. MURPHY MACHINE FOR DIGGING, SORTING, AND DELIVERING POTATOES Sheets-Sheet 2 grwenioz Wzzfmm as: L. '72 map 1y,

Mar. 3, 1925.

E. R. MURPHY MACHINE FOR DIGGING, SORTING, AND DELIVERING POTATOES FilHSept. 6. 1922 Q 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Mar. 3, 1925. 1,528,502

- E. R. MURPHY M CHINE FOR DIGGING, SORTING, AND DELIVERING POTATOES Filed Sept. 6, 1922 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 71 5615. ll fh/"fzawl y Y w 77%% I wglhae/m wa M 3.19:

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fsmpllcation lied To all whom it p I 'Be it known that I, ERNEST R. a citizen of the United States, 'res dlngat Brayton in the county of Greeley and Stat of Nebraska, have invented ne'w useful,

Improvements in Machines. for Y Digging, Sortin the following is a specification.

In carrying out the present invention it is I my purpose to provide amachine for digging, sorting and delivering potatoes wherein the digger mechanism-may be lowered and elevated at the will of the operator,

wherein the separating mechanism will be constructed in such manner as to perm t the small potatoes to fall back Into the ground and discharge the larger potatoes onto a ,conveyor, the latteroperating to deliver the potatoes to a wagon or other receptacle.

It is also my purpose to provide a machine of the class described whichwill embrace the desired features of simplicity, efficiency and durability, which will operate efi'ectlvely for its intended purpose and which Wlll' embody comparatively few parts and these so arranged and correlated as to reduce the p thereof and upstanding therefrom are brackpossibility of derangement to av minimum.

With the above recited objects in view,

and others of a similar nature, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts set forth in and. falling within the scope of .the appended if short of claim.

v In the accompanying drawings:

Figural is a view in side elevation of the machine constructed in accordance with my invention. I

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same. I Figure 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 2. a Figure-4 is 31511111131 view 4-4: of Figure 2. Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the clutch-mechanism for controlling the agitating means;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of one of on the line the agitator plates.

Flgure 7 is. a sectional view on the line 77 of Figure 5. r 4 Referring now to the drawmgs 1n detail,

' 1 designates a frame of suitable construcadjacent to one e'ndthereof and extending tion and preferably rectangular in outline. Connected to the side bars of the frame 1 and Delivering Potatoes, of which.

wheels 3 the ends of e2al Serial No. 586,409.

therefrom are stub axles 2 on which aremounted, respectively, ground wheels 3.

"Connected to the respective side bars of the frame'i'l adjacent to the other end thereof and extending outwardly therefrom are brackets 4. Connected to the brackets 4 and depending therefrom are ground wheels 5. i iThe connection between the ground wheels 5 and the brackets 4. is of the swivel type, so that the ground wheels 5 may turn in one direction or the other, according as the machine is turned. In advance of the ground a yoke 6 are connected to the respective side bars of the frame 1 and thecentral portion of the yoke beyond the frame is formed with an eye 7 by which horses or other if desired, may in order that the on the ground draft animals or a tractor, be connected to the frame latter may be drawn along wheels over the ground. or convenience, I will term the end of the frame 1 in advance "of the ground wheels 4 thefront end and the other end of the fraime behind the ground wheels 5 the rear en Connected to the frame 1 at the front end ets 8 and journaled in the upper ends of the brackets 8 is a drum 9. Also connected to the brackets 8 and extending downwardly and forwardly therefrom are side bars 10 spaced apart in parallelism and terminating Trained over the drums 9 and 11 is an endless conveyor belt 12. 1

Connected to the lower ends of the arms 10 and extending downwardly and forwardconveyor belt 12. The separating or sorting means and the agitating mechanism are carried by the frame 1 between the side bars thereof and this mechanism embodies cross shafts 14 journaled in the side bars of theframe 1 and extending transversely of the frame. These transverse shafts 14 are spaced apart equal distances longitudinally of the frame and extend from one end to the other, as clearly illustrated in Figure 2 the ground. J ournaled in the lower ends of the side bars 10 is a drum 11.

of the drawings. Upon each shaft 14 is a lurality of agitator plates 15 each trianguar in shape and formed centrally with an opening in which is seated the collar 16, as

clearly illustrated in Figure 6 of the drawings, the collar 16 on the plate encircllng' the shaft 14. These triangular shaped agitator plates are spaced apart equal distances longitudinally of the shaft, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings, and the plates 4 on one shaft alternate with those of the adjacent shafts and work between the plates of the adjacent shafts, as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. Extending lonitudinally of the frame 1 are separator fiars 17 spaced apart across the frame and between which the triangular shaped agitator plates work, as clearly illustrated in Fig{ ure 4 of the drawings, the apices of the plates rising above the separator bars in the rotation of the plates under the action of the shafts 14.

In the present instance, the shafts 14 are connected together for simultaneous rotation by means of chain and sprocket mechanism 18 and the shaft 14 at the forward end of the frame is connected through the medium of the sprocket and chain mechanism 19 with the upper conveyor drum 9, so that the conveyor 12 will be rotated in the rotation of the agitator plates.

In the present instance, one of the shafts 14 extends beyond the side bar of the frame 1 and is equipped with a.relatively wide spur gear 20 with which meshes a narrow spur gear 21 that is fixed upon a collar 21' splined upon a stub shaft 22 carried by the adjacent side bar of the frame 1. This clutch collar 21 is movable into and out of engagement with a second clutch collar 23 that is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 22 and carries asprocket wheel over which sprocket wheel and the sprocket wheel on the adjacent stub axle 2 is trained an endless chain 24. By means of this construction it will be seen that when the clutch collars 21 and 23 are in engagement with each other and the machine in operation motion will be transmitted from one ground wheel 3 through the chain 24, clutch collars and intermeshing gears 21 and 20 to the shafts 14. When, however, the clutch collar 21 is moved along the shaft 22 to disengage the clutch collar 28 the driving connection between the stub axle and the shafts 14 is broken. The clutch collar 21 is provided with an upstanding pin 25 that extends through a slot 26 formed in one end of a bell crank lever 27. This bell crank lever 27 is pivoted at its bight upon the adjacent side bar of the frame 1 and the other end thereof is connected through the medium of a rod 28 with a hand lever 29 pivoted upon the frame 1 at the forward end thereof.

The arms 10 that carry the conveyor at the forward end of the machine are capable of movement to regulate the depth. of the shovel 13 into the earth and to disengage I the shovel from the earth and in order to enable the bars 10 to be so mani ulated, the

hand lever 30 is pivoted upon t e frame 1 and is suitably connected withthe arms 10; At the rear end of the frame 1 is a trough or pan 31 that extends acrossthe frame 1 and is inclined fromone end toward the other, as clearly shown in Figure3 'of the drawings. The lower endof the trough 31 therefrom. In the present instance, the con; veyor 32, which may be of any suitable or preferred construction, is' driven fromthe rear transverse shaft 14 through a gear train 33, as clearly .illustratedin Figure n ;s5, In practice, the shovel enters the earth as of the drawings.

the machine isdrawn along-and deposits the potatoes on the conveyor belt 12 and as the conveyor belt is operated, such potatoes are thrown onto the separator bars 17 and under the'influence of the triangular shaped agitator plates 15. As the plates 15xrotate I the potatoes are carried along these arator v 2 bars and the smaller potatoes-fall t rough the bars onto the ground, while the larger potatoes are delivered into thetrough or pan 31, whence they fall o conveyorw 32, from which they may b'edelivered to a wagon or other receptacle.

By reference to Figure 1 ofthe drawings,

another that the potatoes are drlven alon congestion on the'bars and are delivered to the pan or trough 31 continuously, so as-not to overload the conveyor 32 at any time.

From the foregoing description, taken. in

connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that. I have provided a machine for digging, sorting and delivering potatoes whereby the potatoes will be acted upon withoutbruising or cuttingand wherein the component parts are so. an rangedand'correlated as to reduce the pos sibility of-derangement to a minimum apd 11 9-1 it will be noted that the various sets of agi-i' tator plates are so timed with res ect to one.

atthe same time permit access to be had thereto easily and quickly for repairs, replacements, etc. I

- I have entered into a detailed description of the construction and relative arrange? ment of parts embraced in the present and preferred embodiment of my invention with a view to imparting a full, clear-and exact understanding of the said embodiment." I

125 do not desire, however, to be understood as confining in self to the said specific construction an relative arrangement of parts, inasmuch as 1n the future practice of myin-j:

vention such changes or modifications may be made as fairly fall within the scope of my invention as defined by my appended claim.

Having thus described the invention, What is claimed as new, is

A potato harvester comprising a frame, wheels supporting the frame in a horizontal position, a digger and elevator carried at the forward end of the frame, spaced rods disposed longitudinally of the frame, shafts journaled in the frame and disposed transversely thereof and located below the rods, means for rotating all of the shafts in the same direction and from the supporting wheels of the frame, plates in the form of equilateral triangles mounted at their centers upon the shafts and disposed through the spaces between the rods, the plates upon one shaft having edge portions which overlap the edge portions of the plates upon the next adjacent shafts, the plates being so positioned upon the shafts that the plates upon alternate shafts have parallel edges during rotation and at times during the rotation have pointed corner portions which project above the plane in which the upper edges of the rods lie, and at other times have side edges which lie in the said plane, the parts being so arranged that the potatoes which are delivered from the elevator upon the rods are permitted to pass at intervals along the upper sides of the rods and at other intervals are lifted above the rods and partially or completely turned by the plates and permitted to gravitate upon the rods as the pointed ends of the plates pass below the rods.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

ERNEST R. MURPHY. 

